Daisy Ridley's latest diagnosis prompted her to make health and lifestyle changes.
Daisy Ridley is getting candid about her health struggles. The 32-year-old actress covers the September/October issue of Women's Health, and, in the accompanying interview, reveals that she was diagnosed with Graves' disease last year.
After previous diagnoses of endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, Ridley learned in September 2023 that she was suffering from Graves' disease, an immune system condition that affects the thyroid gland, per Mayo Clinic.
Initially, Ridley attributed her symptoms of a racing heart rate, weight loss, fatigue, and hand tremors to finishing up work on Magpie, a psychological thriller that was "really stressful" to star in. However, when her doctor weighed in and described Graves' as making one feel "tired but wired," Ridley reconsidered.
"It was funny, I was like, 'Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,'" she tells the outlet, "but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can't chill out."
Already a vegan, after Ridley's diagnosis she decided to cut down on gluten and change her workout routine.
"I didn't realize how bad I felt before," she admits. "Then I looked back and thought, 'How did I do that?'"
Ridley also made lifestyle changes in an effort to be "more well-being conscious" than just "health conscious." She makes sure to rest, spends time in infrared saunas, uses cryotherapy, gets massages and acupuncture and utilizes crystals.
"I do a fair amount of the holistic stuff, but I also understand that it is a privilege to be able to do those things," Ridley says, before sharing why she believes it's important for women to advocate for themselves with their doctors.
"We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, 'I really, actually don't feel good' and not going, 'I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.' It's just normalized to not feel good," she says. "... Even if you can deal with it, you shouldn't have to. If there's a problem, you shouldn't have to just [suffer through it]."
Ridley is best known for her role of Rey in the Star Wars franchise. Fans thought her time in the role had finished after 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, but Lucasfilm announced in April 2023 that Ridley would return for a new film set to be released in 2026.
"I love the experiences. I love the films. I love the team I got to work with. I'm excited to dive back in," Ridley told ET earlier this year. "I took a day [to decide if I wanted to return]. It felt close to me. And then you realize how much time has passed. I thought about it and I thought, 'Yeah.' It was never going to be a no."
RELATED CONTENT:
News
John Boyega Gives His 'Star Wars' Co-Stars Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac Superlatives (Exclusive)
